Love Remains the Same
by KeitorinElric
Summary: She looked up at him and finally recognized the look in his eyes...could it be?   Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and any of the characters.


_**Love Remains the Same**_

The pain...

A scorching heat tore into the left side of her body as she staggered backward. Her feet dug into the ground as she gripped the katana that impaled her, blood seeping from the wound and trailing down her legs. A river of crimson flowed down her chin from the corner of her mouth as she choked on a gasp, a grimace on her face as she swallowed her screams.

Her eyes, once squeezed shut, burst open and determination flared across her emerald eyes. Her hands tightened around the blade as she looked up at her opponent, and he was met with a sinister smile.

The man felt her chakra spike as she ripped the katana from her torso. A cry escaped her lips before she brought her right fist to the attacker's face. She flinched as the sound of crunching bones resonated through her ears. The man flew across the clearing and fell to the ground, his body limp among the many others littering the forest floor.

She pulled herself upright clenching her still bloody wound. After a sharp intake of breath, she realized that breathing was becoming more and more painful and difficult to do...she'd have to do something quickly if she was going to remain conscious. Leaving a trail of blood, she dragged herself to one of the few trees still standing from her battle with the rogue ninjas.

She gripped the trunk and slowly slid herself down to the ground, legs sprawled out and muscles aching. Her chest heaved up and down as she brought her right hand to the gash in her side...she had already lost too much blood.

'I can't let them see me like this...,' she thought. A bright green glow was emitted, and the wound slowly began to close. Just a few minutes later and there was no evidence of the prior injury. She breathed a sigh of relief but only had a moment to herself before a familiar voice sounded throughout the forest.

"Sakura-chan!"

The blond sage burst through the trees and into the clearing, seemingly out of breath. Said kunoichi looked up through her tangled pink tresses.

"Naruto..."

But she stopped short when she saw he wasn't alone.

"And...Sasuke...," she breathed.

Naruto reached Sakura's feet and was bent over bracing himself on his knees. After a few deep breaths, he looked up at her, cerulean eyes shining.

"Are you okay?"

She didn't hear him...she was staring at the few scratches and bruises that were scattered about his face and body. He and Sasuke had been ambushed too, but Naruto healed a lot faster thanks to the Nine-Tail's chakra, and Sasuke was just...Sasuke. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Naruto's hand waving in front of her face.

"Sakura-chan?" he shouted, jolting her out of her daze. She flinched.

"Oh! Naruto!" she said, looking right at him. "I'm fine. Just a few scrapes, no big deal," she smiled. Sakura then noticed Sasuke had been standing behind Naruto, eyes fixated on her. She blushed and looked away feeling embarrassed. 'Get a grip!' she told herself. She looked back to find Naruto upright, scanning the clearing.

"Whoa, Sak! Nice job! There must be tons of 'em!"

"I took care of it," Sakura replied sheepishly. She did her best to conceal the tear in her shirt from the rogue's katana.

"They should probably be tied up...just to be safe," she said with more confidence. The two boys nodded and went to work. Sakura stayed seated as Naruto strongly insisted on her resting...she just wanted him to stop shouting in her ear.

"That's the last of them," Naruto said, dusting off his hands. Sasuke pulled the knot tight, the muscles in his arms rippling. The jinchuriki made his way back to the pinkette, stretching his arms.

"I'm going to find the nearest village and stock up on supplies. We're running low after that surprise attack. Think you'll be okay here with Sasuke?" Sakura glanced at the raven-haired boy-turned-man and back to Naruto.

"...Yeah...," she hesitated. This would be the first time they'd be alone since Sasuke returned to the village six months prior to this current scroll retrieval mission. She bit her lip and grinned up at her teammate, eyes closed. She didn't want to see the doubt in his eyes at her answer.

"I'll be back soon," he finally stated. He slowly turned his back to the still grinning girl and took off into the forest and out of sight, leaving only Sakura and Sasuke in the clearing.

Silence engulfed the area as Sakura gradually opened her eyes. She hated feeling so awkward. Movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she looked up to find Sasuke turned to face her. He started towards her, but after getting halfway, he stumbled. Sakura's brow furrowed, her eyes focused. 'Something isn't right...,' she thought, noticing the slightly pained look on his face and the way he held his body. Then he went blank.

His knees buckled and gave way, and in an instant, Sakura was at his side. She caught him by the shoulders before he crumpled to the ground.

'She...I didn't even see her move...,' he mused, stealing a glance sideways through lidded eyes at her, pink bangs shielding her face. She dragged him to the tree she was under just a moment ago. With his eyes barely open, he noticed the trail of blood under their feet.

"Sakura...," he gasped, struggling to breathe normally.

"Don't speak, Sasuke. I don't need you passing out on me," she spoke. She leaned his slack body against the trunk so that he was sitting upright. She bent down in front of him as her medic instincts kicked in. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds making it difficult to see under the shade of the tree. She surveyed his exposed limbs. 'Only a few scrapes, meaning there's one place left to look...'

"You have to lose the shirt," she commanded. Sasuke's head shot up with a surge of adrenaline, and they held each other's gaze. He glared at her with all the energy he could muster. Onyx clashed with emerald before Sakura sighed and turned away.

"Just let me take off your shirt, Sasuke. I have to check for wounds," she said with more edge in her voice than she intended. His glare faltered slightly at her tone, and he finally gave in. He didn't have the energy to argue after all.

Sakura nodded and pulled one of the few kunai she had left from her weapons pouch. With one swift movement, she brought the kunai up through the remains of Sasuke's slate shirt, splitting it up the middle. She went to push the pieces away from his body, but the second her fingers brushed against the skin of his chest, he visibly winced. They both gasped as Sakura drew her hand back quickly.

'...What was that?' they both thought. '...Electricity?'

Sakura refocused and reached for the shirt again, careful not to touch his skin. She gently eased the cloth away from his torso, and her eyes suddenly widened.

"...Sasuke...wh-what happened?" she choked. He heard the quiver in her voice.

"I'll be fine," he gasped, trying to seem convincing. He looked up to see her ample eyes focused on the bloody gash in the top right side of his chest. The wound cut deep and glowed a dull crimson. The mangled alabaster skin surrounding it was a sharp contrast to the gory red gaping hole. Sasuke directed his gaze to his lap and closed his eyes. After a few moments, the throbbing pain was beginning to disappear...but how?

A warmth spread across his upper body, and a tingling sensation brought his attention to the hands on his chest. Sasuke watched Sakura's delicate hands move over the wound with such precision, her face held the look of a poised professional. It was obvious she had been trained by the best as Tsunade didn't go easy on her pupils. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity to the medic before Sasuke finally felt that wonderful heat fade.

Sakura began to move backward, exhausted and low on chakra, when she felt a hand grab her wrist and pull her back. She came to rest in Sasuke's lap. When she opened her eyes, emerald melted into onyx and a blush dusted her cheeks. Their faces were inches apart.

"What are you doing?" she finally choked out, her voice low enough that Sasuke could barely hear her.

"What happened to you?" he questioned, voice void of emotion. Sakura's breath caught in her throat as his eyes bore into hers, but she couldn't look away.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine," she whispered. His glare intensified, and his grip tightened around her wrist.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura. That blood on the ground...it's yours, isn't it?" Sasuke's voice lowered and acquired an annoyed edge. Her eyes widened with each word he spoke. She gazed downward.

"I...I...," she stuttered. Her head shot up as he brought his hand to her face. Sakura couldn't help but stare into the avenger's face as his hand grazed her jaw, his thumb stroked from her lips down to her chin.

'Wait a second...,' she thought, but it was too late. He pulled his hand away, and his gaze shifted from her face to his hand. He turned his palm to face her...it was stained in streaks of red. 'Damn it!' Sakura cursed, 'how could I forget?'

"Your blood," he started. "So something did happen to you."

"It's just blood, Sasuke," she scoffed with mock arrogance. "I'm a kunoichi, I'll bleed, no big deal." She suddenly stiffened...Sasuke's hand had just found the tear in her shirt. Her eyes trailed from his calloused hand, up his arm to his broad shoulders, strong jawline to his eyes that now blazed red. 'Sharingan...,' she mused. His fingers caressed the exposed skin.

"You were seriously injured...," he began. "Some of your chakra was severed...by a katana." She gasped.

'Shit!' she cursed at herself.

"You healed the tissue wounds, but..."

"But my chakra was getting low, and I had to be prepared to defend myself again if need be," she admitted. She lowered her head in embarrassment. 'He probably thinks I'm still weak,' she thought, teeth clenched and eyes squeezed shut. Sasuke let go of her wrist and hesitantly brought both of his hands to cup her face, lifting her head. Tears gathered in Sakura's eyes as she slowly opened them to find him gazing back at her. Her eyes narrowed slightly...there was something in his now ebony orbs that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"I...I'm...," he started, almost inaudibly. He took a deep breath, and his stare strengthened. "I'm...sorry," he whispered. He looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sakura," her name rolling off his tongue in a way that sent chills up her spine. She was taken aback.

"Sasuke, we were ambushed and separated. It happens, so no need to apologize. Besides, we're all okay," she whispered back. She was about to say more when he cut her off.

"I couldn't protect you," he growled, "I never could!" His voice boomed throughout the shadowy clearing as Sakura flinched. Noticing the alarm on her face, he spoke quieter. "I thought by leaving I was protecting you from Itachi...from my past. I didn't want the important people in my life to get hurt again because of me...I couldn't lose you. And everything just...got out of control..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "...Sakura, please forgive me...I don't want to beg."

She didn't realize she was crying until she felt the pads of Sasuke's thumbs wiping away her tears. She sucked in a shaky breath. She laughed, startling Sasuke, and smiled at him for the first time in years.

"I forgave you a long time ago, Sasuke-kun." It was then that onyx eyes widened, and a true smile spread across the Uchiha's face. He brought a hand to her chin and closed the distance between them.

His lips sealed over hers as Sakura melted into Sasuke's hold, her body going limp. It was chaste and gentle, but it quickly became hungry and passionate. Years of pent up emotion were released into this one kiss. Wasting no time, Sasuke bit her bottom lip. Her gasp allowed him to enter her cavern, tongues dancing over dominance. Sakura slid her hands up his chiseled chest, lacing them behind his neck and playing with his soft ebony locks.

Sasuke wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. His other arm ran up her back, his hand fisted into her short pink tresses tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. They were pushed up against the tree, heavy gasps echoing off the trunk. They both broke the heated kiss in desperate need for air. Sasuke leaned his forehead against hers, panting for breath.

"Sakura...do you still love me?" He didn't even hold back. Sakura gasped.

'I can't deny it anymore...I won't lie to myself!' she decided. "I...of course I do, Sasuke-kun. I always have, and I always will." She looked up at him and finally recognized the look in his eyes...could it be?

"I love you, Sakura-chan," he confessed. She knew it...

"Oh, Sasuke-kun...I love you too!" She flung her arms around him, sobbing. She finally had her Sasuke back. He pulled her into another hungry kiss, molding their mouths together, sealing their future as the sun reappeared and shone brightly on the couple.

"Well, lookie here!" A voice startled them, breaking the kiss much to their disappointment...which was soon replaced by embarrassment. Sakura blushed a pink that rivaled her hair while Sasuke looked away seemingly annoyed as Naruto exclaimed, "You guys sure made up fast! Maybe I should leave you alone more often!"


End file.
